Increasingly, commercial and public-service call centers are becoming text accessible, allowing callers to interact with the centers in a text-based format. The Next Generation 911 (NG911) initiative to update the North American emergency-service infrastructure, for example, is introducing the capability to establish text messaging sessions with callers seeking assistance. The emergency caller would send a text to a short code associated with the relevant emergency service before being routed to the appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and connected to a call operator with the ability to text back. However, use of this texting feature is limited when compared to voice-based calls to a service center.
With a voice-based call to a service center, a second operator, such as a supervisor or a technical specialist, might become an active participant in a call where the operator requires assistance. When the caller finds himself speaking with more than one person, he is able to use auditory clues to distinguish between the two operators to make sense of the call. Each operator speaks in a different voice and makes use of verbal cues so as not to speak over each other. No mechanism currently exists to allow a text message caller to intelligibly receive text messages from multiple responding parties or call operators to coordinate their response to the caller.
Accordingly, there is need of a method and apparatus for providing multiparty participation and management for text messaging sessions.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the description and drawings do not necessarily require the order illustrated. It will be further appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.